Vegetarian diets--good to go!

Vegetarians may have an advantage over those with other types of dietary habits in that it is probably no sweat to consume the large quantities of health-promoting fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes that are recommended. Non-vegetarians often have a much harder time consuming the current recommendations of five fruits and five vegetables each day. On the other hand, athletes have worried that a vegetarian diet might not be adequate for optimum athletic performance--perceived shortages of protein, B12, and iron are among the concerns.

A recent review of the available research ought to dispel some of those concerns. According to authors, a vegetarian diet doesn't provide any performance advantages, but also has no detrimental effects on athletic performance. All evidence indicates that a well-planned vegetarian diet is as effective as a traditional diet for athletic performance. Good news for vegetarians who already reap great lipid profiles, a lower risk of coronary artery disease, and lower cancer risk. For more information on vegetarianism and athletes, go to www.acefitness.org, click on FitFacts and scroll to find Vegetarianism and Athletes.

(American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999, Vol. 70, No. 3, Suppl. pp. 570S-575S)